Closing her eyes, she sighed. “Just for a little while,” she said.
He watched her and within seconds, her breathing slid into a regular rhythm. Unable to force his gaze from her, he stared. The sight of her in his home did something crazy to his insides. He’d thought his heart was dead after his fiancée left him. He’d planned to keep things low-key with Elle. Knowing she was expecting his child, though, changed everything, even his resentment toward her because she’d betrayed him.
He needed to move quickly. Brock had never been more certain of the right thing to do in his life. Taking in the sight of her lovely face, her parted lips inhaling even, measured breaths, he felt his resolve solidify.
Forcing himself to look away from her, he left the room and called his publicist.
Hours later, Elle awakened to a semidark room. The bed and furnishings were unfamiliar. Uncertainty rushed through her as she rose to her elbows, trying to shake off her grogginess. Then she saw Brock seated across the room with an electronic book reader in his hands.
He glanced up at her. “Okay?”
Everything came back to her—the terrible scene in the kitchen with Brock, her grandfather’s heart attack. Panic raced through her. She threw off the covers and swung her feet to the floor. “I need to check on my mother and grandfather.”
Brock was beside her in seconds, putting his hands gently on her shoulders as if to steady her. “Already done. Your mother is making an early night of it. She said you should do the same. You’ve been too stressed lately. Athos is resting comfortably in the CCU. If he continues to improve, he’ll be moved to a regular room on the cardiac floor tomorrow.”
Despite all the tension between her and Brock, she couldn’t deny her relief at his touch and the reassurance of his confident voice. “You’re sure?” she asked. “You’re sure they’re okay.”
“I’m sure,” he said, then glanced at the clock. “It’s late, but you’re probably hungry.”
Elle gasped when she saw the time. “Oh, my goodness, it’s nine-thirty. I can’t believe I slept that long. I need to get home.”
“Not tonight,” he said firmly.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I agree with your mother. You’ve been too stressed lately. You need to rest. This is the best place for you to relax.”
“Oh, this is insane. I’m fine.”
“Uh-huh. That’s why you fainted in the E.R.,” he said, his gaze holding hers in silent challenge.
It was hard to argue his point, she thought, sighing. Just as it had been hard for her to fight her attraction to him from the day she’d met him.
“Come on, let’s get you something to eat,” he said, pushing aside a stray strand of her hair. “An empty stomach is an invitation to faint again.”
Her pulse raced at his fleeting touch, making her feel lightheaded. Heaven help her, she couldn’t pass out again. “Maybe some toast,” she conceded.
“That’s all? You can have anything you want. Steak, chicken,” he said, guiding her toward the door.
The thought of a heavy meal made her feel queasy. “Just toast, please. I can fix it myself.”
“No,” he said. “Anna’s been waiting to fix something for you since you walked in the door. She said you looked terribly pale.”
“There’s no need to fuss,” she said as she walked down the hallway beside him. She’d been too upset to notice much about Brock’s house. Now that she was more composed, she took in the décor. Beautiful antiques stood on top of luxurious rugs. Heavy draperies lined the windows. Brass framed mirrors reflected over-the-top chandeliers.
“This is amazing. It must be like living in a palace,” she said. “The antiques are—”
“—my mother’s,” he said with an edge of weariness in his voice. “As you know, I don’t stay here very often. I feel more at ease in the apartment at the office.”
“Oh,” she said. “It’s beautiful, but I can see why it might be hard to relax here. I’d be afraid I’d bump into something and break a million-dollar lamp.”
He chuckled. “That would be one way to clear out some of this junk. Anna,” he said as the housekeeper approached them. “Miss Linton says she would like toast.”
Anna nodded, trying to hide her disapproval. “With beef tips, or turkey and mashed potatoes? Or perhaps crab?”
Elle shook her head. “Just butter and maybe jelly on the side.”
Anna sighed. “If you’re certain, Miss Linton. Would you like some wine?”